Blogs and Commentary

2024 Still the Goal for Lacrosse in the Olympics

FIL Director of Development Tom
Hayes still sees 2024 as a realistic oppurtunity for lacrosse in
the Olympics.
@Lee Weissman

Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced
that wrestling had been re-instated to the roster of sports for the
2020 and 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The IOC chose to reinstate
wrestling, which had been dropped from the official line-up earlier
in the year, instead of adding a combined baseball-softball entry
or squash. Lacrosse was not included on the short list for
consideration.

After reading this news, I contacted Tom Hayes, former head
coach at Rutgers University and now the director of development for
the Federation of International Lacrosse, which serves as the
international governing body for both men's and women's lacrosse. I
was curious to hear Tom's opinion on whether the latest IOC
decision would impact lacrosse's potential for Olympic inclusion.
After all, he probably monitors these developments more closely
than any other person I know in the lacrosse community.

It has been Tom's opinion that lacrosse's most realistic
opportunity for Olympic inclusion would be with the 2024 Summer
Games. He articulated that view for an article we published in
Lacrosse Magazine ("The Olympic Dream") in September 2012. I was
encouraged to hear that his opinion had not changed.

"I still think lacrosse has a lot of momentum going for it,"
said Hayes, who was also selected as LM's 2012 Person of the Year
for his efforts to move the sport closer to the Olympic stage. "The
IOC understands that we have a hot sport that also has a lot of
T.V. appeal."

While trying to understand and predict IOC decisions can be a
daunting challenge, Tom does seem to have some insight. He told me
that he was not surprised at all that Tokyo, Japan was chosen over
Madrid and Istanbul as host city for the 2020 Summer Games. In
fact, he explained, that choice may work in lacrosse's favor.

"Japan had the strongest presentation," said Hayes, who watched
all three finalist cities make presentations during an IOC meeting
earlier this year. "There are also 20,000 lacrosse players in
Japan, so that might help us in being a demonstration sport."

While it's not a requirement, host cities are allowed to
petition the IOC for inclusion of a demonstration sport (no medals
awarded) for the purpose of promoting the sport on a worldwide
stage. Baseball was a demonstration sport at the 1984 Summer Games
in Los Angeles, and most recently, Beijing hosted a wushu
competition during the 2008 Games. Lacrosse historians may know
that men's lacrosse has been featured as a demonstration sport
three times previously: 1928 in Amsterdam, 1932 in Los Angeles and
1948 in London.

"I've already sent some emails to lacrosse contacts that I have
in Japan," Hayes said.

In the meantime, Hayes notes that lacrosse, via the work of the
FIL, continues to position itself wisely in the eyes of the IOC.
Acceptance into SportAccord and the IWGA (International World Games
Association) were necessary steps. The 2014 Men's World
Championship, in Denver, and the 2017 IWGA World Games, in Poland,
will be important milestones for lacrosse, serving as worldwide
platforms to demonstrate the sport's relevancy.

He also cited that the change in IOC leadership, with Germany's
Thomas Bach elected Tuesday as the new president, replacing Jacques
Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years at the helm, could signal
the beginning of fresh perspective and attitude among the
members.

"I'm already noticing a philosophical shift that could open new
doors to non-Olympic sports," Hayes said. "The philosophy that
'nobody can come in unless somebody leaves' may be changing."

The IOC has a current cap of 28 sports for the Summer
Olympics.

"Our next step remains unchanged," Hayes said. "We are filing
for provisional recognition by the IOC, which requires 50
affiliated countries across three continents. We are very close to
that number with the expected additions of Estonia and Jamaica
pushing us to 49 countries."

Hayes says another 10 counties could potentially be joining the
FIL in the not-too-distant future, and feels that the number could
exceed 100 by 2024, the target year for Olympic inclusion. The host
city for 2024 will be announced by the IOC in 2017.

"It's pleasing to see the support that we are starting to
receive," Hayes said. "We've come a long way already, that's for
sure."